Meet Francis Olusegun, UNILORIN’s best graduating student with perfect 5.00 CGPA

Francis Olusegun, a Mathematics graduate of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), has emerged as the institution’s overall best graduating student for the 2025/2026 academic session after achieving a perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.00.

Olusegun, who also emerged as the best graduating student in the Faculty of Physical Sciences and the Department of Mathematics, said consistency, flexibility and a willingness to make personal sacrifices helped him achieve the feat.

Speaking in an interview with TheCable, published on October 22, the graduate disclosed that he reduced social outings and gave up being in a relationship while pursuing his academic ambition.

He said he had set his sights on becoming the overall best graduating student as far back as 2019, after recording a 5.00 CGPA in his first year.

According to him, news of outstanding graduates from other universities strengthened his determination to achieve the same result.

“I thought, if it was possible, I could stretch myself and go for it. Everyone can have a first-class but it’s not my original target. I wanted to be the overall best graduating student,” he said.

He added: “I thought, if I wanted to graduate as the overall best, why not do it with a 5.00?”

Olusegun explained that he did not rely on a rigid study timetable, preferring to adjust his approach whenever it stopped working.

He said he usually reviewed lessons after classes but acknowledged that it was not always possible to follow a daily schedule exactly as planned.

“My reading system is very flexible. I don’t believe in one particular way. Once I carry a structure or a way of doing things, and it’s not working again, I quickly improve it,” he said.

He added that he changed his timetable when necessary and prioritised consistency over sticking to a study method that was no longer effective.

According to him, the ability to recognise when a routine was not working and adapt accordingly was central to his academic success.

Olusegun’s achievement comes as the University of Ilorin holds its 41st convocation ceremonies for the 2025/2026 academic session.

The university announced that 16,152 graduands would receive degrees and other academic qualifications, including 365 undergraduates who earned first-class honours.

His perfect CGPA places him at the top of the graduating class and highlights his performance in a demanding academic discipline.

Olusegun’s account points to the importance of sustained effort, adaptable study habits and clear academic goals. His experience also offers an example to students seeking to improve their performance: a study routine, he suggested, should be adjusted when necessary rather than followed rigidly.

The Mathematics graduate said his ambition had extended beyond earning a first-class degree to finishing as the university’s overall best graduating student—a goal he achieved with a perfect 5.00 CGPA.